Tom Hall No1 Cdo and and John Strain No.1 Cdo

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 25/12/2012 17:54:28

I would just like to wish everybody at the CVA website and on this forum, a very Merry Christmas and a Joyful New Year. The same goes to the people on the Facebook page as well and thank you all for your input on my late grandfathers [Pte Tom Hall - 1 Commando] effects that have been posted on here and FB too. I will put a few more items on here and the social network site when they become available. If anybody does have any information on my grandfather, please do get in touch. All the best for the future.

Kind Regards,
Darren Little

Sorry about the quality of the photo attached.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 23/11/2014 21:07:14

I've already posted these up on the CVA FB page, but thought I'd do it on here, as not everyone has FB. Just to let you know that my better half found these photo's in a book, whilst having a sort out in a bedroom cupboard. My mother who recently passed away in late August due to complications arising from her dementia, was looking for them for a long time and all along I had them. I'm absolutely gutted she didn't see them, but want to share them with you, there are 5 of them and hopefully somebody on here can shed a little light on the time, location and people in the photos, other than the one with his mother in it. The monkey's name was Jacko and I believe they are either in India or Burma, plus Scotland for the climbing one and possibly South Wales or the South of England at a holding camp, but I believe it was before the war or the very early months of it, as he was the South Wales Borderers first and that is his brother, Wilfred, who was unfortunately KIA as a despatch rider with the RAC, attached to 4 Commando, near Flushing in Holland. Hopefully maybe someone might recognise the bare chested chap or like I said the locations. Thanks in advance.

Here's another.

And another.

And another.

Last one.

Hi All
Saw this quote below in a previous post on this thread.

"My Grandad saw the M1 Garand and he remembers it being a little lighter when he was in Burma! He said they used the Enfield rifle but were issued the Garand as it was more robust and could be still fired after a soaking."

My Dad`s re-collections were exactly the opposite, that the Enfield was the more robust and was used during landings and then changed for the Garand can anyone please advise
Regards
Bill

I would imagine that ammunition for the M1 Garand would be problematic. All the Lee-Enfields have a proven history for accuracy and durability with the Lee-Enfield No 5 Mk I or (Jungle Carbine) customs made for for jungle warfare by reduction in weight and the shortened barrel.
Kevin

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 03/07/2017 22:09:35

Darren has asked me to post another photo that his grandfather is in...
Hopefully the other commandos may be identified.

Thanks for that Nick, appreciate it. Yep, hopefully someone out there will maybe able to recognise the other gentlemen in the photo and/or my grandfather (on the far right). If you do, please post up who you know, thanks. In the meantime, I'm going to try and identify them from the No.1 Commando panoramic photo taken of the unit at Winchester Barracks in November 1943, before they set sail for India/Burma. Fingers crossed.
🤞

A close up of my grandfather, Pte Thomas Hall, from the group photo above, whilst in India/Burma 44/45.